Today in history
Today is Friday, August 10, the 222nd day of 2018. There are 143 days left in the year. Highlights in history on this date:
955 — King Otto I of Germany defeats the Magyars (Hungarians) at the Battle of Lechfeld, preventing a threatened Magyar invasion.
1627 — French forces under Cardinal Richelieu begin
the siege of La Rochelle against the Huguenots.
1664 — The Truce of Vasvar ends the war between
Turkey and the Holy Roman Empire.
1675 — The foundation stone of the Royal Observatory is laid at Greenwich in South London by order of King Charles II; John Flamsteed becomes the first Astronomer Royal.
1792 — King Louis XVI of France is arrested after a mob storms the Tuileries in Paris and massacres the Swiss Guard.
1842 — Lord Ashley’s Mine Act prevents women and children under 10 from working underground in Britain.
1846 — The Smithsonian Institution is established in Washington as a centre for scientific research from funds bequeathed by British scientist
James Smithson.
1885 — The first commercially operated electrical
tram begins operation in Baltimore.
1895 — The first Promenade concert under conductor Henry Wood takes place at Queen’s Hall in London.
1897 — The Earl of Ranfurly assumes office as Governor of New Zealand. He is remembered for his donation of rugby’s Ranfurly Shield; a young researcher at German chemical firm Bayer, Felix Hoffman, first synthesises acetylsalicylic acid, aspirin’s active ingredient.
1913 — A treaty ending the Balkan War is signed in
Bucharest.
1914 — France declares war on AustriaHungary at
the start of World War 1.
1920 — The Princes Highway between Melbourne
and Sydney is officially opened at Warragul.
1944 — After three weeks of fighting, United States forces overrun Pati Point and recapture Guam from the Japanese in WW2.
1945 — Japan offers to surrender in WW2 if
Emperor Hirohito is permitted to keep his throne.
1947 — William Odom sets a solo record by completing a roundtheworld flight in 73 hours and five minutes, landing at Chicago’s Douglas Airport.
1966 — Orbiter 1 is launched from Cape Kennedy and becomes the first spacecraft to transmit lunar photographs of possible landing sites.
1969 — Leno and Rosemary La Bianca are murdered
in their Los Angeles home by members of Charles Manson’s cult, the day after actress Sharon Tate and four other people were slain.
1988 — US president Ronald Reagan signs a measure providing $US20,000 payments to JapaneseAmericans interned by the US Government during World War 2.
1995 — Two of Saddam Hussein’s daughters, their husbands and a group of army officers flee to Jordan; King Hussein grants them political asylum.
1996 — Former army mates Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols are indicted for the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, which killed 168 people.
2002 — South African rugby fan Pieter van Zyl rushes on to the field and grabs Irish referee David McHugh in a headlock during New Zealand’s 3023 Tri Nations victory over South Africa in Durban. McHugh had to retire with a dislocated shoulder and the SARU banned van Zyl for life.
2003 — A judicial inquiry into the July suicide of British Government weapons scientist David Kelly is held. Kelly was found dead days after being questioned about whether he was the source for a May BBC report alleging that the British Government had doctored a September 2002 intelligence dossier to exaggerate the threat posed by Iraqi weapons programmes.
Today’s birthdays
Herbert Hoover, US president (18741964);
Maurice Brownlie, All Black captain (18971957);
Sir Arthur Porritt, 11th New Zealand GovernorGeneral (19001994); John Feeney, New Zealandborn filmmaker (19222006); Rhonda Fleming (born Marilyn Louis), US actress (1923); Edwin Carr, New Zealand classical music composer (19262003); Brian Pickworth, New Zealand fencer (1929); Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Scottish musician (1947); Rosanna Arquette, US actress (1959); Antonio Banderas, Spanish actor (1960); Jon Farriss, Australian musician (1961); Michael Bivins, US singerproducer (1968); Simon Mannix, All Black (1971); Angie Harmon, US actress (1972); Pua Magasiva, New Zealand actor (1980); Devon Aoki, JapaneseAmerican actress (1982); Ari Boyland, New Zealand actor (1987).
Thought for today
Literature is news that stays news. — Ezra Pound, American poetcritic (18851972).